


I'm Right Here

by shipsn_allthatjazzzz



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Adora Needs Therapy (She-Ra), Adora's love language is words of affirmation and she's been deprived for way too long, Anxious Adora (She-Ra), Catra Needs Therapy (She-Ra), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Glimmer Needs a Hug (She-Ra), Good Parent Angella (She-Ra), Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Mentioned Shadow Weaver | Light Spinner (She-Ra), One Shot, Post-Canon, Shadow Weaver | Light Spinner's A+ Parenting, Some Humor, a bit of catradora fluff, catra apologizes for almost destroying everything, hey remember that one time glimmer and adora fought yeah that wasn't fun, mermista and catra won't stop teasing each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-13 23:54:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29659245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shipsn_allthatjazzzz/pseuds/shipsn_allthatjazzzz
Summary: “Everything all right?” Catra asked. Her heterochromatic eyes stared into Adora’s soul. “You’ve got that mopey look on your face again.”Adora hummed. “Yeah, everything’s fine. I’m worn out, that’s all.” She wasn’t lying. It really had been busy these past few weeks. The Alliance pledged to repair kingdoms and villages ravaged by the war. Some communities even had to be completely rebuilt from the ground. She-Ra was the one with all the muscle, and she was also the second best strategist in the Alliance, so Adora couldn’t really catch a break.But Adora’s girlfriend knew there was something else on her mind. There always was. Adora couldn’t relax to save her life, even after all the bad guys were gone.ALTERNATIVELY: Adora is finally given time to grieve
Relationships: Adora & Angella (She-Ra), Adora & Glimmer (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Catra & Mermista (She-Ra)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 117





	I'm Right Here

**Author's Note:**

> Rated Teen for occasional swearing and some kinda heavy topics. The timeline jumps around quite a bit and the story is kinda written in a stream-of-consciousness style so I'm sorry if it's a bit hard to follow. It's also dialogue-heavy because that's pretty much the only thing I'm good at writing in creative settings. Content warning for depiction of a panic attack / PTSD episode.
> 
> Enjoy the hurt/comfort, losers.

“You think you can just transform into She-Ra and hit things with your sword and it will FIX EVERYTHING! Well, guess what? It’s not working!”

“Why are you blaming this all on me?! It is not my fault that Salineas fell! The Horde manipulated all of us!”

“She-Ra was supposed to save us. But the Rebellion’s in a worse place than ever since YOU showed up!”

“I’m trying my best. Why can’t you see that?”

_“Well, maybe your best isn’t good enough! If it was, my mother would still be here!”_

The words came spilling out of Glimmer’s mouth. It wasn’t exactly what Adora was expecting to hear. But he knew she had failed. She knew that she was supposed to be Etheria’s hero, and she wasn’t exactly living up to that name. Still, she always moved forward despite her doubts and shortcomings, because she had the power to _do something._

Except at the portal. Adora’s power to fix space and time had been stripped away from her.

“I have to do this. This is my destiny.”

The queen held her under this bleak stare, Adora not knowing at that moment she had made her mind up. “Oh, Adora, _no._ This is not it.”

That was the last time the queen hugged her. Then Adora let her go. She let her sacrifice herself. She let her leave her daughter behind.

_I’ve failed._

Glimmer blinked, realizing what she said. She began to reach out, an obvious regret in her eyes, but Adora instinctively backed away. The scrambled apology coming out of Glimmer’s mouth was muffled by the roaring in Adora’s ears.

_I’ve failed. I failed Glimmer. I failed my best friend. I’m no good to her anymore. I can’t–_

Doors slam open.

**“THE BOYS ARE IN TROUBLE. A SEAGULL TOLD ME. I may have lost my kingdom but I am NOT losing ANYONE ELSE. SEA-RA IS BACK IN ACTION. LET’S GO!”**

They had to put their fight on hold and join Mermista to save the boys from the Horde after they had been captured and sold off by pirates. Adora didn’t remember much. She knew she had to keep her focus and knock soldiers off that ship despite the shredding guitars bleeding into her ears. (Or she didn’t make that up and there _were_ actually guitars rocking a ballad about fighting with friends? It was honestly hard to tell.)

She could barely look at Glimmer. And after they had taken the ship, when Glimmer reached out, Adora slapped her hand away and ran. She sat at the edge of the ship and stared down into the water reflecting the orange-pink sunset, wondering what would happen if she threw herself overboard.

Adora heard quiet, careful footsteps beside her. Bow’s eyes regarded her with respect and concern, the way they always did when Adora was upset. “Adora,” he ventured, “you and Glimmer…”

She sighed, cutting him off. She didn’t want nor need a pep talk about ‘the power of friendship’. It was too late at that point. Adora was angry, but she knew she had to let it fuel her instead of wasting it on something (or someone) that would only cause more pain. She turned to Bow with a new determination in her eyes. “I know what I have to do, Bow.” Adora directed her gaze to the clouds in front of her, sensing a storm coming. “I’m going to look for Mara’s weapon. The one she mentioned in the message. Maybe it can turn the tide of the war for us.” She struggled through a breath. She knew how hopeless this was. But she needed to believe that she could still do _something_. “It has to.”

“What are you talking about? Glimmer doesn’t _need_ a weapon. She _needs_ her friends.”

_You think you can just transform into She-Ra and hit things with your sword and it will FIX EVERYTHING! Well, guess what? It’s not working! She-Ra was supposed to save us. But the Rebellion’s in a worse place than ever since YOU showed up!_

“No she doesn’t.” Her statement was low and soft, like if she had spoken any louder something would break. “But it doesn’t matter. I will fix this, no matter what Glimmer thinks of me.”

The weapon Mara had mentioned was Etheria itself. It would destroy everything if it were activated. They needed Entrapta to disable it. They needed to go to Beast Island to rescue her. Glimmer had other plans. She had pulled the Queen Card on her friends, banning them from leaving the castle. But Adora and Bow, being the good-hearted Rebels they were, disobeyed her orders and snuck out.

_She-Ra was supposed to save us._

Glimmer had already left by the time Adora and Bow’s party returned. Adora was losing control again. She had to do something before it was too late. She couldn’t lose anyone else. So she sacrificed She-Ra to deactivate the weapon, but Glimmer had been captured and Horde Prime’s armada began to invade the planet. Despite having no plan, Adora had to keep moving forward and save everyone.

_But the Rebellion’s in a worse place than ever since YOU showed up!_

Somehow, she did. And now here she was walking down the halls of Bright Moon castle, holding hands with the love of her life. Weeks later, it still felt unreal to be where she was now. Adora often wondered what she’d done to deserve everything she had.

“Everything all right?” Catra asked. Her heterochromatic eyes stared into Adora’s soul. “You’ve got that mopey look on your face again.”

Adora hummed. “Yeah, everything’s fine. I’m worn out, that’s all.” She wasn’t lying. It really _had_ been busy these past few weeks. The Alliance pledged to repair kingdoms and villages ravaged by the war. Some communities even had to be completely rebuilt from the ground. She-Ra was the one with all the muscle, and she was also the second best strategist in the Alliance, so Adora couldn’t really catch a break.

But Adora’s girlfriend knew there was something else on her mind. There always was. Adora couldn’t relax to save her life, even after all the bad guys were gone. “You know that I can bug Sparkles until she lets you take some time off, right?” Catra asked. “I’ll scratch up the furniture. Or I can lick her arm, I know she really hates that…”

“Would it kill you to do something _nice_ for someone when you want them to do something for you for once, or are you always going to be an annoying little brat?”

Catra stuck her tongue out. “I’m not bowing down to her. Sorry.”

Adora smiled and planted a kiss on Catra’s cheek. “It’d do you a favor to be less cocky. You’re still under watch.”

“I know, it’s awful,” Catra gasped. “This pretty blonde girl has to follow me around everywhere I go and keep me out of trouble”

“Unfortunate for her. But you think she’s pretty?”

“Yeah, she’s really pretty.” Catra gave her girlfriend this soft smile, like she held the entire world in her eyes. “I actually like her a lot.”

_“Like?”_

They stopped in the middle of the hall so Catra could kiss her. It was brief and innocent, but Adora felt herself floating from that feather-light contact. Her chest filled with the same, glowing warmth from that first kiss, when the world was close to ending and she thought that was all she had left. She would have died happy, but now Adora got to spend the rest of her life kissing Catra.

Catra gave her this playful look. _Don’t make me say it._

Adora wanted her to say it anyway. She’d never get tired of hearing it.

“Ugggghhhh can y’all stop staring into each other’s eyes and move out of the way? Some of us have an important meeting to go to.”

Catra smirked as Mermista and Sea Hawk walked around them. “Cheery as always, Misty.”

Not even bothering to look back, Mermista told her, “Go fuck yourself, Gremlin.”

“Oh, but I’ve got a girlfriend to do that for me,” Catra replied without missing a beat, her tail swaying playfully. Adora nearly shrieked.

“Cool, can you guys get a room then?”

“NO WE ARE HEADING TO THE MEETING NOW,” Adora squawked, shoving Catra down the hall. She could feel Catra trembling to keep in her laughter. It took a while for Mermista and Catra to tolerate each other, since Catra did destroy Mermista’s home during the war, and Catra didn’t always appreciate Mermista’s snark. But now the two of them bonded by exchanging petty jabs, sharing their dirtiest jokes, and complaining about the idiots that surrounded them. Adora would be a lot more thrilled about it if the jokes were less at her expense.

The four of them entered the War Room, Catra still holding in her laughter and Adora’s cheeks and ears still tinted red. The first thing they noticed was Scorpia and Perfuma kneeling on the floor, giving Melog scratches and bellyrubs. “Who’s a good space cat?” Scorpia cooed. “You are! Yes, you are!”

“Scorpia, stop talking to her like that,” Catra said. “It’s weird.”

Melog mewled, pawing at Perfuma’s hand on her ear. Catra huffed and her ear twitched. “What’d she say?” Adora asked.

“She says I should give her more attention before having an opinion,” Catra muttered. “I didn’t think she’d like being coddled by Scorpia and Perfuma.”

Adora snickered and gave Melog a few scratches. “Sorry I’ve been stealing her away from you. But you know how fickle she can be with affection.”

“Hey, is everyone in here?” Glimmer called from her chair.

Bow stood, counting the bodies in the room. “Yeah, this looks like everyone. Except for Spinnerella and Netossa, but they’re taking time off.”

Catra sighed as she and everyone else meandered their way to the table. “Again? Seriously?”

“C’mon, Catra, they’ve been working really hard,” Bow told her. “They’re the oldest princesses of the Rebellion, and they were fighting a lot longer than the rest of us. They deserve a break.”

“I’m not denying that.” Catra sat down in her chair, still holding Adora’s hand and using the other to pet Melog’s head. “I just think that it’s unfair that they get to take more time off simply because they’re married.”

Micah, not thinking too hard about it, replied, “Well, once you’re married you’ll have that benefit.”

“They already act like a married couple,” Mermista muttered a little too loudly. Adora sank in her chair, heat rushing to her face again.

“Dad, don’t encourage her,” Glimmer said without looking up from her meeting outline. “Catra needs to be working harder. She owes it to us and Etheria.”

“You don’t want Catra to get married?” Scorpia asked.

Adora nearly slid to the floor. She didn’t want anyone to see how red her face had probably become. “Can we _please_ stop talking about this?”

“Yeah, let’s talk about the broken arch of Sea Gate,” Glimmer began nonchalantly. Adora wanted to disappear. Maybe she could convince Melog to turn her invisible and they could sneak up to her room and hide there until the meeting was over. She didn’t really feel like reliving the moment when she had been trying to repair the magic barrier of the gate, but exhausted from labor and distracted by Catra and Mermista’s banter, her powers short-circuited and part of the arch collapsed, injuring four sailors; yet everyone in the Alliance had to be updated on reconstruction progress in the other kingdoms, so she didn’t really have a choice. The sailors had only received minor injuries from the falling stone fragments, but that was only because She-Ra threw herself off the arch and frantically sent shockwaves to break the pieces apart.

“How does something like that even happen,” Frosta blurted out.

“It’s me and Mermista’s fault,” Catra confessed.

Mermista shot up from her seat. “MY fault?!”

“Well, yeah. If you had let me give you advice on practical architecture instead of interrupting me every mid-sentence, then maybe Adora wouldn’t have gotten distracted and shot that rogue power beam at the arch. I helped break that magic barrier, after all, so really you’d be doing yourself and your kingdom a favor to listen to me.”

Sea Hawk and Perfuma had to hold Mermista from running to the other side of the table and knocking Catra senseless. “No, it’s not their fault at all. I should be the one taking all the blame,” Adora said. “Catra was trying her damn hardest to distract me back when She-Ra had to repair the Sea Gate a few years ago, and nothing bad happened then.” She remembered panicked screams, the feeling of falling, and the cold ocean waters submerging her. “I guess…”

_I don’t know what I’m doing._

_I’m scared of people getting hurt again._

_I’m not good enough for this._

“I was tired.”

_I’m so tired._

“It won’t happen again.”

_I’ve already failed too much._

An uncomfortable silence washed over the War Room. The members of the Alliance nervously exchanged expectant glances. Someone had to say something first. As always, it was Bow, “Adora. You _have_ to let us know when you’re feeling like that. Everyone has their limits, including you. No one is expecting you to power through without taking some time to rest.”

_But I’m getting eight hours of sleep every night. And I’m She-Ra. What’s wrong with me?_

A slight squeeze of the hand. Catra’s subtle reassurance. Adora struggled, “I’m really sorry, guys.”

Glimmer gave her a reassuring look. “It’s okay, Adora. The important thing is that we caught this now, and no one was seriously hurt. Take these next few days off. You’ve earned it.”

Instead of letting it be, Adora’s fears prodded at her psyche. “No, let me go back,” she pleaded. “I’m sure I can fix it now, just let me. I need to apologize to everyone–”

_“Adora.”_ Glimmer cut her off. “You already apologized to those people. They’re _fine._ But you’re not. You’re _exhausted,_ and if you keep trying to give it your all when you’re not at 100%, then more people will get hurt.” Her eyes reviewed the first page of her meeting plans. Her fingers moved to the corner, ready to turn to the next subject. “You’ve been trying your best, but now you need to go get some rest. Queen’s orders.”

“But what if my best isn’t good enough?”

Glimmer’s hand froze. Her eyes instantly widened and shot up to Adora.

_Shit._

Adora’s chair loudly squeaked as she pushed it back from the table. Her vision briefly darkened when she stood up a little too quickly, but she briskly left the War Room, feeling all eyes on her. She quietly closed the door then stood there for a moment. She heard Sea Hawk’s muffled voice, “Wait, what just happened?”

_Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit–_

Blindly stumbling past castle guards, Adora retreated to her room. She sat on the floor right beside her bed, shaking. Dark blood red vines wrapped around her body, pulling her through the floor. They forced her way under her skin and poisoned her veins. Still sinking deeper. She had no future. Her legacy was a joke, the so-called “hero” that was never good enough. Yet she felt fur rubbing up against her skin and sad mewing, tethering her body to the present while her mind plummeted further down into those orange-pink waters.

After what felt like an eternity, she suddenly heard a door close. Frantic footsteps. A warm body knelt down beside her. “Adora? Is everything okay? What’s wrong?” Catra’s voice desperately tried to cut through the murky gap of space and time.

Adora cried, “C-Catra, I can’t–I...I-I can’t–can’t breathe–!”

Catra spoke a little gentler and quieter. “Okay. Okay. I’m right here. It’s okay–”

“I’m sink–I’m _sinking!_ Catra–! I can’t–”

“No. No. You’re not sinking, Adora. You’re n–can I hold you?”

_“Please...”_

Catra wrapped her arms around Adora, and Adora held on for dear life. “See? You’re not sinking. I’ve got you.”

“D-don’t let go.”

Catra pulled Adora even closer and held her tighter. She cradled Adora’s head in one hand and used the other to rub her back. _“Never.”_

Adora swallowed hard, trying to remember where she was. “C-Catra...the–the virus…”

Catra shushed her. “Hey, you’re not in that awful place anymore, okay? It’s over. It’s all okay now. I’ve got you, and I’m not letting go. Stay here with me, Adora. All you have to do is stay. Can you do that for me?” Adora nodded. “Breathe with me. In for seven, hold for four, out for eight.”

“I…”

“Oh c’mon, dummy, I know you can count,” Catra gently teased. “Follow me.” Adora buried her face in Catra’s chest, soaking in her comforting scent. She felt Catra’s chest rise and fall with each breath, and it didn’t take Adora long to mimic her. Catra felt Adora’s fingers tapping her back with each count. The more time passed, the more Adora’s fingertips would linger on the fabric of Catra’s shirt. The other hand found its way up to Catra’s head, fingers mindlessly twirling her hair.

“What…” Adora struggled, realizing her throat was dry, “...what happened with the meeting?”

Adora felt Catra exhale through her nose. “That’s what you’re worried about? The Alliance is transferring me to the Fright Zone for now. Apparently I’m supposed to be less of a hazard over there.” She slightly pulled away and examined Adora’s face. “Can I get you some water?”

“Yes, please.” Catra hesitantly untangled herself from Adora and looked around the room for her water bottle. “...less of a hazard, huh? Isn’t it _your_ fault that place was crumbling to pieces?”

Catra huffed, “As if. Hordak and I had a small disagreement, and him being the big baby he is, blasted his arm cannon at shit and blew everything up.”

“Some disagreement.”

Catra found Adora’s water bottle hiding amongst souvenirs and war plans on the vanity. “He was just pissed that I was the second-in-command yet _I_ was the only one getting shit done around there,” she explained while filling the water bottle. “If I wasn’t so hell-bent on proving myself, then it would have taken a lot less for the Rebellion to win the war.” Once the bottle was filled, Catra sat beside Adora, handing it to her. “Drink.”

Adora gratefully took the water bottle. “And if you had come with me that day?”

“Oh, game over. We would’ve been unstoppable.” She gazed at Adora with a certain tenderness in her eyes as she chugged the ice cold water. “Too bad it took us so long to figure that out.”

Adora wiped the corner of her mouth with her sleeve. “Yeah, but... _~BELCH~_...we can’t–shut up stop laughing–we can’t change that, so there’s no use in worrying about it.”

“No, I know. I’m only saying that it’s too bad, that’s all.” Her amber and turquoise eyes watched Adora, and Adora stared back in confusion. “So are you going to tell me what’s going on with you or am I going to have to wait until you walk out of another meeting?”

“C-Catra! What the f–”

“I know you can’t control your episodes, I’m not blaming you for that. But when something’s wrong, _you need to tell me._ When Melog called me over here, I thought–” Catra’s voice cracked. She quickly shook her head. “It’s not as strong as our connection, but she can read your emotions too. You were in so much distress, I thought that you were in danger. Like life or death–and I’m not saying this like I’m blaming you because it’s not your fault. I was really worried about you.”

Catra took a deep breath, closing her eyes and hugging her knees. Adora’s heart ached at how _small_ she looked. “I’m really sorry for making you worry,” Adora apologized. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, because I do, it’s just...when something’s wrong I have to…” She gestured, setting her hands forward, then froze. “It’s like a…” She repeated a lowering motion with her hands. They shook in place after a few seconds as Adora struggled to get her point across.

“...you have to pretend that nothing’s wrong?” Catra guessed. “So you shove your feelings down and try to come up with a plan to fix things.”

Adora blinked. “How did you do that?”

Catra chuckled. “It’s not like I’ve known you for our entire lives, or anything.” She gazed at Adora curiously. “So is there something specifically bothering you, or is it your anxiety in general?”

Adora inhaled and threw her head back. “I don’t even know. Kinda both? I don’t know. It’s this...I don’t even know why I’m thinking about it now of all times. It’s not an issue...well, no, it will always kinda be an issue, but we already...we’ve already talked about it and I should be...I’m over it. I really am. And we haven’t really brought it up since...so why am I thinking about it now?”

“Um...you’re going to have to give me a little more to work with,” Catra said.

And so Adora told Catra what had happened at the portal, how Glimmer had to take responsibility as Queen after her mother was gone, how tensions were high and morale was low as the Horde pushed further, and that Glimmer blamed Adora for all of it. Before Adora could explain how Glimmer apologized in tears when she came back from Horde Prime’s ship, and they never had the time to really discuss what happened, Catra cut in, “Hey, Adora, listen: I kinda already know what happened. Glimmer told me when we were on Horde Prime’s ship. I said this to her back then but haven’t told you yet...I’m sorry.”

Adora cocked her head to the side. “Sorry for what?”

“I opened the portal. And I’d figured out that you two were going through a rough patch after she used you as a decoy, so I had Double Trouble take advantage of that to distract you guys so the Horde could get ahead. It’s my fault things got so bad between you two. I’m sorry.”

Adora stared at her girlfriend for a few, long, uncomfortably silent moments. “Wow. Catra. I don’t…” Her gaze briefly drifted to the floor.

_What do I even say to that?_

“That was pretty low of you to take advantage like that,” Adora said. “Like, _really_ low, but I know that nothing’s too low for you…” She anxiously licked her lips, figuring out what she was trying to say. “Glimmer was in a bad spot, so even without you she probably still would’ve–” She cut herself off.

_Would she?_

Catra raised an eyebrow. “I know we’re all lovey-dovey now and shit, and I’m not the bad guy anymore, but you don’t need to go out of your way to make me feel better.”

Adora sighed and shut her eyes. “I really don’t know what to tell you, Catra. You’ve really hurt me, but I don’t think…” Her fingers twitched. “Did you mean to?”

“...Did I mean to what?”

“Hurt me. Honestly. Did you really mean to hurt me?”

When she didn’t get an immediate answer, Adora opened her eyes and looked back at Catra. Her eyes were misty, her ears were flat against her head, and her nails were digging into the palms of her hands. “Yes,” Catra confessed. “I wanted you to feel my pain, to know what it was like to have everything taken from you. I wanted you to hate me.” She violently shook her head. “But I didn’t know what that meant until after the portal.”

_Didn’t know what that meant…?_

A single tear fell. “I kept having nightmares about it. And when Glimmer told me about...I did a really awful thing, Adora. I’m so sorry.”

_Oh._

“Catra, you couldn’t have known–”

_“That’s bullshit and you know it, Adora,”_ Catra snapped.

“No, I mean it,” Adora objected. “There’s no way that you…” For some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to complete that thought. “You were hurt, so you were willing to do whatever it took to fix that. It doesn’t make it right, not by any means, but…”

_Take care of each other._

“...you’re more than your blind-sighted mistakes. You’re _Catra,_ and you mean so much to me. Maybe that makes me quick to forgive and vulnerable, but I don’t want to give up on the people I care about. And you’ve proven you can change, you’re trying your best to make up for it and be a good person, so what more can I ask for?”

Catra’s glassy eyes smiled at Adora. “There you go again, idiot. _I’m_ supposed to be the one comforting _you.”_

“Sounds like you’re the idiot, actually,” Adora teased. “Maybe you should get over your grievances first next time.”

Catra couldn’t help but laugh. “God, I love you.”

_“Now_ you love me?”

She grabbed Adora by the shirt and kissed her. It was deeper than the one they shared in the hall that morning. Adora’s chest filled with so much warmth as her senses briefly turned fuzzy. Catra pulled away just a little so their faces were inches apart, still smiling. “Yes, I love you, dork.”

_“Say it again.”_

Catra’s eyebrow quirked, accepting the challenge. She scooped Adora into her arms and placed her on the bed, showering her face with kisses and ‘I love you’s. Adora giggled, intoxicated from the affection. She really could never get enough of being loved like this.

After kissing Adora one last time, Catra tucked her girlfriend into bed. “Take your ponytail out and get plenty of rest, okay? And no bad dreams.”

“No bad dreams,” Adora drowsily repeated. It had become their thing—to tell each other that before they fell asleep.

“Melog will stay here and look after you,” Catra said as she headed out. She looked back at Adora when she reached the door. “Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

Adora fell asleep a lot quicker than she expected herself to. She tossed and turned in her sleep, remembering the moment she nearly gave up and faded into nothing, then being saved by an angel. That same angel had taken her place, her _destiny,_ and sacrificed herself to save everyone else. Adora woke up in a cold sweat, breathing hard.

_What is my destiny now?!_

There was a soft knock at her bedroom door. “Adora?” a voice meekly called.

Adora’s heart sank. She knew this was coming. “It’s open.”

The door creaked open. Glimmer’s head peeked into the bedroom. “Did I wake you? Is now a good time?”

“Yes. No. I mean, I was already up, you can come in.”

The princess’ footsteps were soft as she entered the bedroom. It wasn’t easy to tell in the dark, but Adora knew she had been crying. She stood an equidistant from the door and the bed, not wanting to come any closer. She held her blanket in one hand and Kowl, a stuffed animal that her dad made for her, in the other. It was at that moment that Adora realized Glimmer didn’t have any family left.

Adora choked back a sob. “Glimmer...I am _so–”_

“Don’t,” Glimmer cut her off. “Just don’t, Adora. Not tonight. I…” She tightly gripped Kowl, her hand shaking. “What happened?”

_Don’t cry._

“We both saw the sword at the portal’s opening. I was going to pull it out, but she…” Adora struggled for a breath. “She wanted me to come back safe. She wanted to be brave.” Glimmer’s eyes widened at that last word.

_Don’t cry._

_“She was so proud of you, Glimmer.”_

The princess turned on her heels and left, slamming the door behind her. It took Adora a moment to register what happened. She then angrily threw her pillow and hid under the covers until she fell back to sleep. When Adora woke up she felt extremely disoriented. It was light outside. What time was it?

There was a soft knock at her bedroom door. “Adora?” a voice meekly called.

Adora’s heart sank. She knew this was coming. “It’s open.”

The door creaked open. Glimmer’s head peeked into the bedroom. “Did I wake you? Is now a good time?”

“Yes. No. I mean, I was already up, you can come in.”

The young queen’s footsteps were soft as she entered the bedroom. She sat at the foot of Adora’s bed, eyes full of concern. “Are you feeling any better?”

Adora yawned, “I dunno. I only woke up like a second ago, but I think I’m feeling better. I’ll be fine.” Glimmer’s bottom lip started quivering. “Glimmer, I’m really–”

_“Don’t,”_ Glimmer cut her off. Tears were already falling from her eyes. _“Adora, don’t you dare apologize.”_

Adora sat up, panicked. “No! Really, I should! I probably made you and everyone else worry, and that wasn’t fair! Not to mention I walked right out of the meeting! That was _super_ unprofessional of me! The least I owe you–”

_“You don’t owe me shit!”_ Glimmer snapped. “You think you have to be everything for everyone all the time, and the moment you don’t live up to those expectations, you act like it’s the end of the world, _and it’s really fucking annoying, Adora! You NEED to stop doing that!”_

“...but I–”

“And I had the _audacity_ to accuse you of not doing enough. You have the biggest heart out of everyone I know, and you put your all into everything you do, _a-and I was stupid and a jerk and I’m sorry!!”_

Adora pulled Glimmer into a hug and shushed her. “Hey, it’s okay. I know you’re sorry. I was an idiot and I pushed my limits, and my anxiety caught up with me. It’s not your fault. I’m sorry for worrying you so much.”

Glimmer sniffled. “It’s not just that. I felt so guilty, because with everything going on, we didn’t really get a chance to...to talk about it.”

“Talk about how you were stupid and a jerk and you’re sorry?” Adora teased. “I don’t think it would do us a lot of good to dwell on that.”

_“No, idiot.”_ Glimmer pushed Adora back and glared at her. “Can’t you think about yourself for once?”

Adora stared blankly at her. “What are you talking about?”

Glimmer groaned and rolled her eyes. “You’re so hopeless. _I mean_ how you feel about what happened to my mom.”

Taken aback, Adora opened her mouth to say something, then immediately closed it. She hadn’t considered that. Why would anyone care about how _Adora_ felt? It wasn’t like she had known the queen for that long. She was simply the stray Horde soldier that Bright Moon took in under suspicion, in hopes that a hero would come out of her. Adora changed everything. She brought the war to the castle’s doorstep. She had put everyone’s lives in danger multiple times. She’d let the queen’s daughter be kidnapped. All Adora ever did was cause trouble, and yet…

“I told myself I was being responsible, but, Adora, I was just scared.” The queen turned back to look at her. “And then I met you. You inspired us.” She gently placed her hands on Adora’s shoulders and regarded her with love, like a mother would. “You inspired _me._ Not because it was your destiny, but because you never let fear stop you. _And now I choose to be brave.”_

Adora took a shaky breath. “Angella, she…” Adora paused, remembering Angella’s soft spokenness, that shrill tone when she got agitated, her subtly commanding presence in a room, those death glares during Adora’s first few days at the castle, her squabbles with Glimmer echoing down the castle halls, her compassionate understanding as Adora recounted her traumatic childhood at the dinner table, meetings in Glimmer’s room with apple blossom tea, the smell of lavender, her nurturing touch, the way she believed in Adora when she didn’t believe in herself...

_Was that it?_

She finally let the tears fall. _“I miss her, Glimmer.”_ Her best friend pulled Adora close. Adora sobbed, mourning Angella’s sacrifice. Mourning the wasted time she had spent fighting Glimmer when they were both grieving. Mourning all those childhood years lost to abuse. Mourning the mother she never had.

“She really cared about you, you know,” Glimmer told Adora when her sobs started to die down. “I remember it so clearly. The morning after…” she hesitated, “...after Shadow Weaver came to Bright Moon, and you ran off, my mom was _freaking out._ We all were, but she went totally ballistic. She was like, _‘I cannot BELIEVE that WRETCHED old woman just showed up in Adora’s room! How DARE she show her face here, after everything she’s put that poor girl through! Adora is such a sweetheart, she doesn’t deserve any of this!’_ She seriously had us triple and quadruple check all the entrance points to the castle until you came back. I’m pretty sure I actually heard her curse a few times about Shadow Weaver forcing you to heal her.”

Adora weakly chuckled. “That’s pretty awesome. I’ve never...I don’t think anyone’s ever done anything like that for me before.” She took an unsteady breath. “So how have you been holding up?”

Glimmer sighed, “I’m okay. Like, it definitely still hurts. It always will. But there’s nothing wrong with being sad about it. I loved my mom, and I know that she’d be proud of me and where we’re at now, so I have to use that to push me forward.”

There was a long break of silence between them. “Adora?”

“Hm?”

“You’re the bravest soul I know.”

Suddenly having a lot of time on her hands, even if it was only for a few days, Adora allowed herself to grieve for Angella and ponder her favorite memories. One in particular stood out—in her early days of staying at Bright Moon castle, Adora had caught an awful cold after their journey to Mystacor, and her friends had to leave for an overnight mission. They didn’t want to go without her (they were the _Best Friends Squad_ , after all) but Adora insisted that this mission was too important to wait. The sooner they could build up the Rebellion against the Horde, the better. She had to sleep alone in her room that night, and there was this kind of awful thunderstorm that Adora had never experienced before. She awoke from a nightmare as thunder boomed over the castle, causing her room to tremble. Adora shakily bolted out of her room and bumped right into Angella.

Adora was so spooked that she may have well been struck by lightning. “Y-your Majesty–! I wasn’t–a-are you alright? I’m so sorry I wasn’t looking where I was going–”

“Woah, at ease, Adora,” Angella put her hands on the girl’s shoulders with a surprising amount of tenderness. “I’m quite alright. I was telling the guards to check security.” Her intelligent purple eyes studied Adora for a moment, then she gave her a gentle smile. “That thunderclap was pretty scary, wasn’t it?”

Adora instinctively broadened her shoulders, “I-I’m not scared, y-your Majesty.”

“You’re literally shaking, Adora.”

“I’m cold.”

“Why did you run out into the hall?”

“To see if Glimmer and Bow were back.”

“You know that they’re going to be gone until tomorrow morning.”

“Well, like I said, your Majesty, I was cold, so I was hoping they’d tell me where I could find another blanket. I forgot that they were gone…” Thunder boomed over the castle again, and Adora nearly jumped out of her skin. Yet she stood there tall before the queen and didn’t let herself start whimpering like she instinctively wanted to. But she couldn’t stop shaking.

Angella stared at the rain falling diagonally outside the window. “I reckon you haven’t dealt with weather like this in the Fright Zone.”

“Is–is this normal? L-like, nobody’s pissed off a sky god, o-or anything?” Lightning struck right outside the castle, a flashing array colors illuminating the hall for a brief second, followed by the loudest crash of thunder yet. This time Adora _did_ jump and start quietly whimpering.

Angella took pity on the girl and ushered her down the hall. “I know a safe place where we won’t hear the thunder quite as much.”

“Y-your M-Majesty, you don’t have to–” Adora pulled the collar of her shirt up to her mouth and had a short coughing fit.

For the first time since coming to Bright Moon, Angella gave Adora that tender smile. “It really isn’t an issue, Adora. Don’t argue, I want to show you something.”

Interest piqued, Adora let Angella lead her through castle halls to the commercial kitchen. She had gotten a brief glimpse of it when Glimmer gave her a castle tour, but she had thought the room was off-limits to her. Yet here she was, brought in by the _queen,_ no less. Adora gaped as she looked around, wondering if there was something like this back at the Horde.

“Being queen, I don’t do a lot of cooking,” Angella began, scanning one of the cupboards. “Not that I know how to make much, anyway. But on nights when I’m restless, sometimes I like to sneak in here and make myself a snack, and I can usually get to sleep once I’m done eating.” She pulled out a can from the cupboard then grabbed a can opener. “I figured that since you were sick, I could make us some soup.”

Adora pointed at the can. “What’s that for?” Angella smirked, set the can on the counter and worked to open it. Adora stood back and watched curiously, until the can was opened and Angella motioned for Adora to come closer. “WAIT THERE’S SOUP IN THERE?!”

And so Angella taught Adora how to heat up the stove, pour the soup and some water into the saucepan, stir it with a wooden spoon, and serve it into bowls with a ladle. Adora watched with a childlike wonder, her mind soaking in the information like a sponge. She’d never forget how mesmerized she felt when the smell filled the air as the soup heated up. They brought their bowls to the dining hall and remained there, Adora impatiently eating her soup, blowing on each spoonful like Angella told her to so she wouldn’t burn her mouth. The steam from the broth cleared Adora’s sinuses, so she often had to reach for a napkin and blow her nose.

Suddenly, as Adora was finishing her meal, Angella said, “Glimmer and Bow have told me that you’ve never slept alone before.” Adora froze, spoon in hand midair. “Is that why you ran out of your room looking for them?”

“It’s not…” Adora set her spoon down. “...I don’t want to be a burden, your Majesty.”

“You know that it’s okay to be afraid, Adora.” The girl stared as Angella swallowed a spoonful of soup. “Change can be awfully scary, and you’re going through a lot of change right now. You left your entire life behind to follow your destiny, and you haven’t exactly been given much room to breathe with the cards you’ve been dealt. You have a lot of challenges ahead of you, and that’s terrifying.”

“Why…” Adora’s voice cracked and a single tear fell. “Why are you doing this for me? I…”

_I was your enemy._

_I put people in danger._

_I don’t know if I’ll be able to save everyone._

Angella got up and walked to Adora. She turned her face toward her and wiped the tear from her face. “Yes, I was cautious when you first arrived here. I didn’t know what to expect from you. But Adora...you’ve _greatly exceeded_ my expectations. You’re kind, strong, intelligent, loyal, and _so incredibly brave.”_ Her gaze briefly shifted toward the soup. “You take care of people, so I wanted to show you how to do that. How to take care of yourself, your friends, and your family when you one day start one.”

Adora gasped. _“Start_ a family? I can do that?”

“Mhm. When you’re old enough, and you find someone you love, you ask…”

That final morning, Catra had convinced Glimmer to give her a break too, so that she could spend the entire day with Adora. (And she somehow found a way to do it without licking Glimmer’s arm or scratching up the furniture. She’s learning!)

She woke up Adora with a kiss. “Wake up, dummy.” Adora groaned and playfully hit her girlfriend in the face with a pillow. “How are you feeling today?”

Adora yawned, “Like I want to get back in action. This blows.”

Catra snorted. “Hey, c’mon! That’s not fair. I had to beg Sparkles for some alone time with you, and today’s the only day that works. Be grateful for the extra vacation day, you ungrateful jerk.”

Adora turned on her side, gazing up at Catra lovingly. “So, did you have anything in mind?”

“I was actually going to turn that question over to you, Princess. We can do whatever you want.”

_When you’re old enough, and you find someone you love, you ask…_

“Let’s go on an adventure.”

Catra gawked. “No offense, but I’m about 84% sure we shouldn’t be using our day off to get into trouble.”

“No, not that…” Adora sat up and placed her hand on Catra’s. “I don’t care what we do. I don’t care where we go. Life is a crazy, scary, wonderful adventure, and I want to spend all of it with the girl I love.” They kissed, and when Adora pulled away, Catra’s face was bright red and her pupils were dilated.

“Sh-shut up, idiot.”

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't really know what to call this fic and my last one shot was titled from a song so this one is I'm Right Here by From Indian Lakes.


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